John matthews



@hitch tsts @anni @ffice vJOHN MATTHEWS, Jn., or NEW YORK, N. v.

Letters Potent No. 62,658, elated .Marck 5, 1867.

BOXES FOB. HOLDING AND TRANSPORTING BOTTLES.

TO LL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN MATTHEWS, Jr., of the city, county,'and State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulv improvement on Boxes for` Holding and Transporting Bottles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specication, and in which- Eigure 1 represents a plan of a bottle, box, or case, constructed according to my improvement; and i Figure 2, a transverse Asection of the same, taken as denoted by the line @e in iig. l, and with bottles therein.

Like letters-indicate like parts in both figures.

improvement has reference to boxes or cases for holding and transporting bottles, such as bottles con-v taining soda, mineral, or any aerated water or wine, applicable also to bottles containing otherfliquids. Boxes or cases for such purpose have been constructed both with a single horizontal partition, made up of a series of compartments or perforations to secure separation of the bottles, of asize or diameter capable of receiving ver: tically within or through them the bodies of the lbottles inserted neck downwards, with their corks resting on the bottom of the box also, and which is an improvement upon such construction, as it avoids the bottles resting on their corks, with a second or lower horizontal partition, having round holes or pc'rforations made iniit to receive through them the neck of the bottle, that is thereby held or supported at its shoulder. But this construction has the objection of the divisions between the perforations presenting on opposite sides the end grain of the wood, which in rough or rapid handling of the bottles, in packing or unpacking, is apt to be chipped orb'roken away, while the lower edges of the ends of the case being unprotected otherwise than by the sides of the outer frame, in sliding the cases in or out of the wagon or over the ground or other surface, said ends either chip or become loose orarectorn apart. The nature of my invention, in connection with such structures, cons sists in itting up the box or case with a series of vertical dividing strips arranged longitudinally and trans= versely within it to form upper and lower compartments, the formerto accommodate the body of the bottle; and the latter to receive and support the shoulder thereof, and the lower compartments being formed by con- `structing the longitudinal or one set of strips thicker, and preferably of a bevelled configuration at their june;

tion with the upper compartments; also, it may be, making them of a depth so that their lower edges are on a level with the edges of the outer frame or ends thereof, so as to form rails for sliding the box or case, and serv= ing generally to strengthen and stien the latter.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A represents the sides, and B the ends of the case or box. C are' longitudinal, and 'D transverse strips, dividing the box into upper compartments, a, of suitable area to receive down within them the body t of the bottle. These strips should stop short of the upper level of the case, to give'room for a free projection of the bottom ends of the bodies above them and within the case to facilitate handling of the bottles. The longitudinal or one set ot" strips C are preferably of a depth reaching down to the lower edges of the case,`and moreespecially those of the ends B, which they serve to tie or hold together; so as to form rails or bearing surfaces whereon or whereby to slide and move about the case without danger of the ends B catching or being strained or torn apart. Said strips C are made thicker, or so as to project at their junction with the upper or body compartments a, and Apreferably bevelled olf, as at e, to form lower compart# ments, d, to receive the necks and shoulders of the bottles, said shoulders resting on the strips C, where the same thicken or project at their junction with the upper compartments. Though the lower compartments, eZ, have here been described as formed by an extension in depth of one set of strips below the upper compartments,

a, making such extensions thicker, so as to establish ledges or projections, c, and such provision for support of the shoulders of the bottles may be said to be virtually as hereinbefore described, such is not necessarily or strictly the case, as this invention does not consist in merely forming compartments by cross-strips for reception 0E the bodies of the bottles, which feature in itself is old, nor is it essential in this, my invention, whether the" ledges or projections e are arranged below the longitudinal strips, as they may, if preferred, be located below the transverse strips instead; nor yet is it-material whether the lower extensions or pieces forming the lower compartments d, and ledges or projections c, descend to the bottomof the box, or reach across it to brace the ends or sides, as the case may be; but such extensions are, more properly speaking, independent parts or strips,

and may be made of separate strips, E, secured to the box or its compartments in any suitable manner, the outer ones, E', having but single ledges or projections, c. The rest for the bottles thus established presents no end grain of the wood, or thin horizontal division, to be chipped or broken by the bottles in roughly inserting` or drawing them out of the case, andthe bottles may be entered with greater expedition and certainty than where the necks of the same haveto be passed -through orifices of a contracted character for support of the shoulders of the bottlesl all round or en all sides, instead of simply on opposite sides, with a wide or open space, otherwise, as"is`herc the case.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The llower extensions or strips E or E', arranged below the upper compartments a, and constructed so as to form shelves or projections, c or e', on opposite sides, and to constitute lower compartments, d, in combination with the cross-strips forming the upper compartments of the box or case, substantially as specified.

JOHN MATTHEWS, Jn.

Witnesses J. W. Goonies, Gr. W. REED. 

